Dossier: The Freedom Fighter
by tsnell
Summary: Shepard needs all the help he can get in his fight against the Collectors, so what will his newest crew member bring to the team?
1. Priority: Caleston

"Joker, set a course for Haestrom, on the double," Shepard ordered. The Far Rim was the centre of geth space and, as such, he didn't think a group of quarians could go unnoticed for very long.

"Aye commander," replied Joker. "Hold on, priority message from The Illusive Man, patching it through to the comm room."

"Thanks Joker," said Shepard as he walked back down the bridge. "What could he possibly want now…?"

Striding down the bridge, Shepard felt his stomach clench, but for what, he was unsure. Having Garrus back aboard was great, and having Tali with them would make it seem like the good old days. If only Liara were there too. The commander arrived in the briefing room and the Quantum Entanglement Communicator scanned his body.

"Shepard, I have another dossier for you, but by the time you read it through this man will be dead. You need to go to the satellite Caleston in the Caleston Rift immediately," The Illusive Man said, not a hint of anxiety in his voice. "From what we've seen, he is a brilliant soldier and his tactics are almost perfect, a real asset to your team."

"We were already heading for Haestrom but we'd have to pass through the Rift anyway, will do," Shepard replied. Although he didn't like being at The Illusive Man's beck and call, he couldn't just leave a man to die on some volcanic hellhole.

Shepard cut the link and left the briefing room. His omni-tool began beeping and a moment later a dossier on the latest recruit appeared in his message terminal.

_**The Freedom Fighter**_

_-Brutally efficient tactician_

_ -Master of close quarter combat _

_The man known as Ghost suddenly materialized in the galaxy five years previously. However in that short space of time, he has worked with almost every known species in the galaxy. It is rumoured that he is on Caleston undertaking an assignment that involves the mercenary group known as 'The Hand.'_

Shepard lifted his omni-tool to his mouth, "Change of plans Joker, we're going to Caleston."

* * *

"Remember, all members of The Hand have a specialty," said Shepard, strapping on his chest armour. "Most members of the group are recruited from other merc gangs; Blue Suns, Eclipse, Blood Pack, Black Dragons and independents. They make up the bulk of their combat section. But it's their other specialisations that are more worrying. From what we understand they have four other sections. People smuggling, drug running, weapons manufacturing and a medical sector."

Garrus and Mordin's faces were both complete mirrors of shock and anger. This was everything that Garrus stood against while he was a member of C-Sec and on Omega. Mordin had worked against these mercenary activities in the STG. However it was quite a shock to hear that one gang controlled so many sectors of the illegal market.  
"How are we going to handle this then Shepard?" asked Garrus, seemingly sceptical of the mission already.  
"The Illusive Man believes this guy to be a CQB expert so he's probably going for the stealthy approach. We'll storm the place and hopefully meet him on the way."  
"Dangerous plan. Many variables. Could be dead. Worse for him, could be alive," said Mordin.  
"Well whatever's happened to him, we won't find out until we're down there. EDI, have you located The Hand's operating base yet?"  
"There's a considerable amount of interference from volcanic activity, however, there is a 3km radius on the moon that I cannot pierce with our LADAR sensors. Logic dictates that that would be their command centre," replied EDI.  
"Thanks EDI," said Shepard. "Remember team, most of these guys are professionals, so pack your heavy gear, because if we don't fight our way in there, we're definitely fighting our way out."

* * *

The shuttle ride to Caleston was uneventful albeit unpleasant. The smoke from the moon's active volcanos reduced the visibility to zero; the Kodiak had to be flown using the sensors alone.  
Shepard, Mordin and Garrus exited the vehicle onto the mining facilities' landing pad, however they were not alone. Aside from the white shuttles with orange hand symbols, there was also a black Kodiak with gold stripes running along its' flanks. The white walls of the facility were pristine aside from a single bloody handprint that dragged its way through the main doors. The three soldiers followed it inside.

"My God, what happened here!" exclaimed Shepard.  
"I guess you were wrong about this guys method of operation," replied Garrus. Even the seasoned merc hunter from Omega was repulsed by the state of the entrance hall. Bodies littered the floor and although it seemed like many of them were unharmed; the floor, the walls and even the ceiling were covered in blood. "Shepard, are we sure that this Ghost is mentally stable? These don't look like the actions of a man that's completely sane…"  
"The Illusive Man wouldn't have forwarded his dossier if he didn't think this guy could carry out the mission, I hope," Shepard answered, however he couldn't take his eyes off a steady drip of green blood.  
The three soldiers passed through the horrific hall and entered the bases main corridor. The hallway, though, wasn't that much better. The only improvement from the entrance hall was that, oddly, there were no bodies on the ground, although it did appear as if the floor had been painted dark blue with turian blood. There were five doors branching off of the corridor; one appeared to be an empty elevator shaft, the second was a barracks that looked to contain the missing bodies.  
"Shepard. Infirmary. Well stocked. Some bodies appear to be operated on," said Mordin, one hand cradling his head.  
"And this side's the common room, that just leaves one door," added Garrus, the data streaming down his visor moving faster than ever and his crosshairs circling more rapidly.  
Mordin and Shepard raised their weapons as Garrus bypassed the entry lock. As soon as the doors parted, screams and wails began to echo down the next hallway. The only door in this section was ajar and it would seem that this would be the source of the cries of pain. Shepard, Mordin and Garrus advanced down the passage, clearly disturbed by the noises, but even more so once the yelling suddenly stopped. They reached the next doorway and Shepard risked a glance around the corner before entering the commanding officer's office. Secured to a chair was a heavily scarred batarian, his face covered with blood. His two left eyes were so swollen that he was unable to open them. However what was most shocking was the state of his hands. On his left, only the thumb and ring finger remained and on the right, just the thumb. The incisions on the batarian's hands were all expertly healed, however the fingers were all laid out on the table before him, proving they were not old battle scars.  
However, it was not just the batarian's appearance that left Shepard and his squad speechless. Across the table from the batarian sat one of the most heavily armed men any of Shepard's squad had ever seen. Clad in black power armour with gold highlights; his torso, upper arm and upper leg armour appeared to be Alliance standard issue, yet with some modifications. His headgear appeared to be a mix of a capacitor helmet and a quarian mask and his eyes glowed brightly from beneath it. Yet the strangest things regarding his appearance were his hands (he only had three fingers) and his feet (which had two toes). Indeed, Shepard was unsure if the man sitting at the table was a quarian or human. Before him, a set of blades was laid out. They ranged from serrated to nanometre blades and all looked vicious. Secured on his back were a sniper rifle, shotgun and a pistol.  
As Shepard, Mordin and Garrus aimed their weapons at him, he raised his hand. "Please, I mean you no harm. I was just asking my friend Borak here a few questions about a friend of ours, but he refused to give me the answers I needed. My name is Ghost," he said, lazily saluting.  
"I'm Commander Shepard, are you responsible for what's happened here?" asked Shepard.  
"You're Shepard? Why yes I am. These days, some people just won't solve an argument peacefully, so I had to show Borak here how serious I am." Ghost span one of his throwing knives between his fingers while saying this.  
"I'm putting together a team and I think your skills are exactly what we need. Are you willing to work with us to take down the Collectors?"  
Ghost thought about this for some time. "I need to think about the information Borak has given me, but in the meantime, I'm going to need something to do." He held out his hand.  
Shepard took it and they shook. "What do you want to do with your friend here?" asked Shepard.  
"Oh, he's already dead," Ghost stated, quite matter-of-factly. "Don't worry about him. So should I grab my stuff and bring it with me or am I bringing my Kodiak too?"

* * *

I'll try to update this story whenever I can, but now that the first chapter is done, it's going to be easier to continue.  
As usual, any and all feedback is appreciated.


	2. Back On the Normandy

Ghost whistled, resting his arms on the conference table and examining the holographic display of the Normandy. "Wow Commander, nice ship you've got here. How many credits did it cost the Illusive Man?" he asked.  
"I have no idea, but from what I've heard it put a massive dent in their funds," replied Shepard,  
"It put a dent in Cerberus' funds? You're looking at a lot of creds, hundred million, at the least."  
"Good thing I don't have to pay for it then," Shepard laughs. "Now, do you have any specifications for sleeping arrangements?"  
"Not that I know of-wait no, I wanna sleep there!" Ghost shouts, pointing at the port observation deck, one of the few remaining areas available to the crew and undoubtedly one of the largest.  
"Alright Ghost, you can have it, but on one condition. Please don't shoot a hole through the window. Actually, don't shoot a hole through anything," Shepard pleads, though with a smile on his face.  
"I'll try my best, but no promises. I might gold-plate the place instead! In any case, you can't keep calling me 'Ghost', or your crew won't want to hang out with me." He sticks out a hand. "Archer Reynolds, freedom fighter and self-proclaimed sex symbol. I also do this." The freedom fighter sticks out his tongue and manages to lick his own nose.  
"I may have to revoke your sex symbol status now," Shepard laughs. "It's good to know you have a sense of humour."  
"I'll see you around Shepard, the long arduous task of unpacking waits."

* * *

Shepard made his way down to the viewing deck, waiting patiently inside the ship's elevator. He couldn't help but fiddle with his omni-tool; the Normandy was still one standard hour away from Haestrom but every second spent on the ship meant more danger for Tali and her science team. Shepard always felt talking with his crew helped alleviate the pre-mission he got so he decided to go visit the newest addition to the ship. Although recovering Archer had gone smoothly, he was undoubtedly a man with issues, and the way in which he had disposed with the guards of the Hand's facility was a testament to that. Therefore, Shepard had decided to ask the freedom fighter about his unusual methods of infiltration.

The doors slid open and Shepard stepped out onto deck 3. Much like Shepard's cabin, the crew quarters upon the Normandy SR-2 were far more spacious than those aboard a standard alliance ship. Additionally, due to the few crewmembers required to keep the ship running, there was plenty of room available for the squad members recruited for the mission. Shepard stepped through the port observation deck's doors and his eyes widened. Although Archer hadn't gold plated the interior of the room as warned, he had customised it according to his personal preferences. That is, one of the largest collections of weapons Shepard had ever seen hung upon the walls; knives for throwing, stabbing, carving, slicing, surgical holo-blades, a turian sabre, a pair of razor sharp battle axes and most shockingly of all, a compact chainsaw, in addition to a sniper rifle, assault rifle and pistol. In pride of place, at the centre of his armoury was his scratched and dented armour.

Archer stood in the middle of the room, staring out into the depths of space. He did not turn at Shepard's entrance. He was dressed black; a buttoned black shirt, black pants, black gloves and a pair of formal black boots. The lack of any protective gear confirmed he was not a quarian. Yet his clasped, three-fingered hands resting against the small of his back belied his otherwise human appearance. Additionally, his legs bent backwards at an inhumanly possible angle, yet another curiosity about the man.

"Commander, how nice of you to visit," said Archer, his tone was pleasant enough yet still he didn't turn.

"I had to make sure you hadn't blown up this area of the ship. You have a quite a… discrete taste in décor I might add," replied Shepard. The new recruit in front of him could hear the smile in Shepard's voice.

Archer chuckled to himself. "I usually attempt to limit my presence anywhere for an extended period time, but I decided that if I'm going to be here for very long, why not decorate a bit. Before we continue, I think there is something we must discuss, if only to prove you can trust me." He quickly turned and faced Shepard, his face passive.

In short, Shepard was stunned. It was clear that in the past, the 'Ghost' had been an attractive man, even though he was only in his early 20's. He had short, cropped black hair and defined facial figures but with a twist. There was a white glow to Archer's eyes and his ears tapered to a point three to four centimetres above where a human ear would end. The mix of two species into one both confused and horrified Shepard. Archer's transformation into this hybrid had no doubt been excruciatingly painful. At this thought, the Spectre winced.

"That's the reaction most people have when they see me face-to-face," said Archer. "Even the hardiest soldiers and battlefield medics aren't used to seeing this kind of mutilation, and it's understandable." There's sadness in his voice that makes the Spectre think Archer doesn't have many or any friends.

"How did this happen to you," asked Shepard, although he was unsure whether he wanted to hear the answer at all.

"I'll start from the beginning then shall I? Twelve years ago my family and I settled on small planet in the Skyllian Verge, I no longer remember its name, along with a few hundred other people. A handful of us were wealthy families looking for a fresh start in greener pastures, others were poorer and were looking for the monetary bonuses handed out to colonists by the Systems Alliance. My family, the Reynolds, were amongst the former and I believed myself superior to many of our neighbours. After three years on the planet, a government had been created and much of the planet, especially our town, was dedicated to farming. My family owned the majority of the farmland and as such, we possessed enormous wealth without much effort. As an only child I was indulged by my parents and never went without." A hint of bitterness could be heard in Archer's words. He was clearly ashamed of his earlier mannerisms. "The batarian hegemony had withdrawn from the Citadel two years earlier and there was a growing sense of unease amongst the colonists, though at the time, no one new why. One day everything was fine, and the next, batarian-backed slavers rained from the sky and burnt and killed and pillaged. Mother, father and I had sought shelter within our shuttle and that was where we were when they stormed the manor. My father struggled bravely, but even he could not hold out against well-armed batarian pirates for long. They killed him and took my mother away. One remained behind to secure the ship, but he discovered me and chased me into the smuggler's hatch. Inside was a few million credits and fathers prized weapons; two chrome plated, short barrelled shotguns and his hunting knife, from Earth. I took one of the shotguns and eliminated the batarian, then flew the ship in search of mother."

Archer took a deep breath and looked Shepard directly in the eye. "I do not mistrust all batarians Commander, lest you think me xenophobic. But for the next three months I searched for the pirate gang that took my mother. As a boy of only fifteen, I was unprepared for any sort of violent activity, but my thoughts were consumed with the ways in which I played to kill those pirates. I was a man possessed and that led me into the defining moment of my life. I believed I had tracked the batarians to their planet base, after bribing any and every sort of tracker, hunter and freelancer. When I landed, a group of turians and humans surrounded my ship and imprisoned me in a cell across from a set of captured quarians. The leader of the other prisoners was named Sorvel'Rornon and by his reckoning, they had been imprisoned for one week, during which time they had left to rot. Their mission was to steal the information the hand had been collecting about bypass codes and fleet patrols for the Flotilla. I'd stared to tell Sor about my mission when the doctor came for me." The freedom fighter's nostrils flared and his voice ice cold. "I was taken from my cell and brought before the five leaders of The Hand. Each of them leads a separate division of the group you see. Weapons smuggling, drug smuggling, armed forces, information brokering and medical. The Hand is the most ruthless and wealthiest gang in the entire galaxy and together, they decided to make an example of me to the Migrant Fleet. So the leader of the medical wing, a human, decides that he's going to change me. First, all the cosmetic stuff like eyes, hands, feet and legs were to be bent and broken and butchered to look like a quarians. Next, my immune system was to be altered through the removal of natural defences and some new drugs they'd developed. Then they planned to kill me and my fellow prisoners and then send us back to the Migrant Fleet in pieces."

"Obvious their plan failed, or else you wouldn't be sitting here today," observed Shepard, disgusted by the mercenary's plans.

"That's true Commander; the medical team only got to the start of the second phase. Although all of my visible weapons had been removed when I'd been captured, a pair of lazy security guards hadn't checked my shoes properly and didn't notice the knives I had concealed in the soles of my boots. The night before my operations, I'd thrown the knives to Sor so he and his team could make their escape. After luring a pair of guards to the cage and then disposing of them, the quarian team easily escaped their confinement and then did something I did not expect. Instead of rushing to the exit and escaping like I'd told them to, the quarians came and broke me out of the recovery room, although at the cost of two of their numbers. Together, we managed to obtain a shuttle and managed to escape the system and make our way back to the Flotilla. After heavy decontamination, they were allowed to board the Rayya, yet I was forced to stay on board. By that time, I was in bad shape, and my legs were bleeding everywhere. Sor managed to get a couple of quarian doctors to enter the shuttle and he was yelling at them to help me. They probably would have left me to die if I hadn't told them of the wealth I possessed and that I could compensate them for their help. One of the admirals overheard this and ordered the doctors to help me. The two expertly healed my restructured legs and within a few hours, they had me stabilised. Then, and this is the weird part, they put me in a large quarian suit and took me to their hospital!"

"They accepted you into their fleet? What motivated them to do that?" asked Shepard, now utterly confused.

"You have to understand Shepard; the quarians had nothing against me personally. Rather, when I arrived in my terrible condition, they saw me as a liability to their scarce resources. Once they found out that I could afford to purchase them some better medical equipment in exchange, I became an asset to the Fleet. Once I was back on my feet, I was able to integrate myself into quarian society. When we stopped off at a port, I bought supplies to grow on the live ships such as fruit and vegetables or clothing. In exchange for their hospitality, I used almost one million credits on fleet repairs." At this, Shepard blanched. "You forget Commander; I had several million credits to spare. I just wanted a place to belong and a place to live. So for the time being, I studied amongst other young quarians preparing for their pilgrimage."

A voice over the ship's speakers caused Shepard to jump. "Commander, we're a few minutes out from Haestrom, you might want to armour up."

"Thanks Joker, I'm on my way up now, Shepard out," replied the Spectre, rising from the seat he had taken. "Sorry Arch, I've gott-" he was cut off before he could finish.

"What's on Haestrom? No one goes there except the geth!" Archer asked with an audible strain in his voice.

"There's a quarian team there now, though we weren't able to find a copy of the mission briefing."

"Who's leading the ground team?" It sounded like he already knew, but wished he didn't.

Shepard hesitated before answering. "You grew up on the Rayya, didn't you?" Archer just nodded. "It's Tali'Zorah and Arch, I think she might be in trouble."

The Ghost barely heard him, as soon as Shepard had confirmed it was Tali, his head had fallen and his eyes glazed over, as if he were thinking hard. Although Shepard couldn't hear him, he breathed one thing before rushing over to his armour.

"Keelah Tali, what have you got yourself into now?"

* * *

**I apologise straight up to anyone who's been waiting for this chapter come out, my teachers decided it would be a good idea to set a lot of assignments and tests, plus my computer wiped its hard drive. But I'm back on track now and the next chapter should have less dialogue, more action and be out much faster. This chapter didn't come out quite as I wanted it to, but all the important parts are in there.**


End file.
